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In the Soil Arts Festival 2024 Land Acknowledgement

June 10, 2024
By
Deanna Jones

As artists, we like to think that our ideas, our creativity, and our sense of community are unique, and while we feel we’ve created something very special in downtown St. Catharines, it is by no means unique. For over 10,000 years, community, creativity, and the arts have been happening on this land.

St. Catharines is part of the traditional territory of the Anishinaabeg, the Haudenosaunee, the Wyandot peoples, and many nations, both recorded and unrecorded.

This territory is covered by the Upper Canada Treaties and within the land protected by the Dish With One Spoon Wampum agreement, an agreement between nations - an agreement between people - to take care of and share the land to ensure ongoing sustenance and life. This is an agreement that has been broken and neglected and though it was developed centuries ago, its intention and significance is just as urgent today as it has ever been.

We acknowledge the conflicts over land that are happening around the globe today. As we call for justice for those who have been and are being harmed elsewhere, we know that we must also educate ourselves, speak out, and take concrete actions here in St Catharines.

To us, this acknowledgment is a call to action and not an invitation to rest. At Suitcase in Point our relations matter significantly; as such, what we do, what we put out there, the stories we tell, and the artists we showcase matter to us. We are far from experts and are committed to growing our ability to care for one another. With our hearts and eyes open, we invite you to fill out our audience survey or speak directly to our team to share any suggestions and input on how we as a festival can take meaningful action towards the spirit of a shared future.

 

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